CSP members share some new ways of using their skills during the pandemic
Exercise on film
Physios who lead an exercise group for the Plymouth and District Branch of Parkinson’s UK, have tried to ensure members can continue to exercise appropriately at home during the lockdown period.
Parkinson’s Disease is a progressive neurological condition with the main symptoms including tremor (shaking), slowness of movement and rigidity (muscle stiffness) and the exercises comprise a range of stretching, strengthening and balance exercises while sitting, standing and on the floor.
Physiotherapists Sine Rickard and Sarah MacPherson filmed the exercise routines, which they usually perform to groups around Plymouth each week, just before the lockdown started. Sine’s husband Alec Rickard (who is Plymouth University’s BSc (Hons) physiotherapy programme lead) helped out as cameraman and editor.
The video was quickly edited to be made available as digital files as well as on a DVD so that it was usable for members who may not have had ready access to a computer. And Alec has then been delivering some of the DVDs as part of his daily exercise.
Telehealth consultations
Hannah Morley, first contact practitioner at Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust, and her FCP colleagues are continuing to support their patients by providing a telephone and video-consultation service. They are using AccuRx, which has been widely adopted in primary care since the pandemic reduced the options for face-to-face assessments.
The team already provided telephone triage for musculoskeletal patients as part of their normal case mix, and regularly used online resources such as NHS Fitness Studio videos and information on the Versus Arthritis website to support patient education and rehabilitation. So for them, switching to a purely online medium has been fairly seamless.
This shift has already had some unintended positive consequences. The team are assessing more housebound patients than before and also able to assess patients with minimal disruption to their lives. These adaptions are likely to spill over into a post-Covid FCP service making the musculoskeletal expertise available to more of the community.
Have you developed an innovative solution?
Frontline is keen to hear from members who have come up with new ways of working or innovative techniques to help patients or colleagues during the lockdown. Email frontline@csp.org.uk and tell us what you’re doing.
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